Tire Squeal When Turning: Causes and Solution
We hear them in car movies, in rallies, and racing. Tire squeal is a natural occurrence for racecar drivers. But it can also happen to daily drivers who hit the road. We sometimes conclude that there is something wrong with the vehicle. But is it the right perception?
Replacing car parts will surely give you a better chance of negating any car or tire problem. However, not knowing where the problem comes from will not minimize it from happening again. The squealing of tires does not directly equate that your vehicle has serious problems in the first place. Adding up to that, unnecessary changing of car parts is expensive and impractical. To understand more, let us dig deeper into the possible causes of tire squeals. We will discuss which are the serious ones and the ones that can be adjusted right away.
What Could Go Wrong If Tire Squealing Is Not Fixed?
Tire squeals are something you do not want to ignore. Some drivers tend to think of it as a tire issue alone, but not checking the actual problems can give you a bigger headache. If tire squeals are ignored, you will have to think more than the tire replacement itself eventually. It could affect your rim, your brakes, or even your suspension.
Causes
To solve all the problems relating to tire squealing, we first have to know and identify what are the possible causes of having one. By being able to know the causes of the said matter, we teach ourselves what do to and what not to do on the road. This itself is one good solution for us to prevent any sudden tire replacement and keeps us from spending out of nowhere.
Here are some of the possible causes as to why a vehicle is experiencing tire squealing. These are the usual reason why the incident occurs. We will also provide the best approaches in order to prevent it from happening.
Abrupt Turning
No matter what type of vehicle you use, abrupt turning in corners will produce a squealing sound. When a vehicle is on a fast momentum, the tire is responding in a more consistent grip to keep up with the speed. Turning all of a sudden will cause the tire to lose its momentum on a linear motion and will force itself to hold grip at the direction of the turn.
The sound occurs because the pressure that the tire gets from a straight drive starts to change in sideward angle. It’s a natural reaction for tires to produce that kind of sound when a car is turning unexpectedly at a constant speed.
Poor Tire Condition
If you are driving at a much slower pace and you still hear your tires squealing, you need to consider checking your tire condition. Primarily, you want to see your tire tread right away. Uneven tread wear can cause the vehicle to produce a squealing sound when turning.
As you keep on driving, the rubber components of the tread consistently peel off when in contact with the road. As a result, it dulls the tread patterns and loses traction over time. Not being able to have it checked in a regular manner could cause the tire to move unevenly and will produce squealy sounds when driving on a straight lane or turning to curves.
Underinflation
Tires with an insufficient amount of air pressure are susceptible to tire squeal. The reason behind this is the tire is not capable of handling the physical force of the vehicle when on the run. As a result, the rubber slides sideways which produces tire squeals and gives the tire a harder time establishing traction with the ground.
Underinflation occurs in two possible scenarios. First, there is a leak in either the tread area or the sidewall. This will gradually put out all the air pressure inside the tire and may result to complete flattening or blowout. Second, tires lose air over time whether or not it has a leak. Tire squeals can be subjected to irregular tire inspections.
Abrupt Breaking
Tires lose rubber during the process of running. When you step on the brake hard during a fast run, tire rubber gets peeled off due to the traction and grip. This causes the tire to dull out and skid on the road that producing tire squeals.
Wheel Misalignment
Wheels that are misaligned can also cause the tires to squeal, may it be turning or driving on a straightway. Suspension can also acquire problems if not checked properly.
Solutions
A good way of making sure that our vehicles are always ready to go, checking our car parts is necessary. Here, we list down all the possible solutions you can consider in order for you to prevent tire squealing. Keep in mind, that in order for us to make sure our vehicles work well, we need to be educated with the hows and whys of each car part.
One good thing about this information is you don’t have to be a high-level expert to diagnose your vehicle in order to minimize or to cancel out any possibilities of tire squealing. To help you break down the things to consider, here is a shortlist of what you need to check if ever you have encountered any strange noise coming from your wheels.
Check Your Tire Tread
Checking your tire tread is your primary objective in solving tire squealing. You have to inspect your tire tread and check whether the tire patterns are still visible. Tire treads are important for gripping and maintaining traction of the wheel to the ground. You do not want your tire tread to be smooth. You can determine the condition of the tire tread by touching it and determining if the tire still has the patterns in the middle.
Keep in mind that the dulling of the tire is a natural thing to happen to your vehicle. So checking your tire tread from time to time is a vital factor in preventing or at least minimizing sudden tire squeals.
Tire PSI
Checking the air pressure of your tire is something you need to do regularly. Worry not because it’s natural that the air pressure of your tire decreases over time. However, not being able to keep track of this could cause you to drive on a lower PSI. As a result, imbalance movement or force on the tire could happen, and eventually, tire squeals may occur.
Make sure to check your tire PSI regularly because this can also help you predict whether there is a slow leak or if the tire needs a repair or replacement.
Driving Method
If you have established that your vehicle is in its top shape, the last thing you need to do is to make sure that you are driving the proper way. In the end, it is our responsibility as drivers to keep our driving techniques in the most optimal manner. As we prevent any reckless and abrupt driving, we negate the chances of committing mistakes that could cause our tires to be out of shape.
Not only will this maintain your vehicle’s condition on top performance, but this will also keep you from engaging and being involved with unwanted events such as accidents and traffic violations.
Have Your Car Inspected By Experts
It is also a necessary measure for vehicle owners to always get their vehicles checked regularly. Tires and other car parts can only last so much. By keeping our vehicles in check and approved by experts, we can minimize any incidents that are caused by tire squealing.
By consulting your car mechanic, you are also able to check and figure out any possible problems from your vehicle may it be huge or not.
How Do I Prevent Tire Squealing From Happening?
You may read different articles from the web teaching you how to not let tire squeal happen. In reality, tires have their shelf life. Meaning, there is a deadline whereas car tires can still be used. The only thing we can prevent is tire squealing that is caused by wrong practices and misinformation.
Summary
A tire squeal does not primarily mean that your vehicle is in serious trouble. However, it’s always a good narrative for you as a driver to always check your car’s condition for safe and efficient driving.
Keep in mind that we as vehicle owners should be fully aware that tires are meant to be replaced when the time comes. So let us keep in mind that we can prolong the quality of our tires by being educated enough on what and what not to do on the road.
